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July 8, 2024

DELHI
CITY EDITION
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New private investment plans

slumped to 20-year low in Q1
Just ₹44,300 crore of fresh outlays announced by corporates; the corresponding period in the past financial year recorded
new investment announcements of nearly ₹7.9 lakh crore; investors adopting a wait-and-watch approach, says economist

Vikas Dhoot been growing steadily, the Centre for Monitoring In-
NEW DELHI only reason to explain the dian Economy (CMIE).
sluggish investment plans While a part of the tepid
n an exceptionally in the last quarter could be investment levels in Q1

I slow start to private

capital expenditure in
this financial year, new in-
vestment plans in the
country slumped to a 20-
year low in the April-to-
June quarter, with just
₹44,300 crore of fresh out-
lays announced by
corporates.
The first quarter of
2023-24 recorded new in-
vestment announcements
of nearly ₹7.9 lakh crore,
while outlays worth ₹12.35
lakh crore were an-
nounced in the January-to-
March quarter. In all, last
year had seen investment
announcements worth
₹27.1 lakh crore, the second
highest in 10 years.
“Since the economy has
that the industry has been
in a wait-and-watch mode,”
said Bank of Baroda chief
economist Madan Sabna-
vis, who hoped that invest-
ments should pick up in
the coming quarters.
While the April-June quar-
ter tends to have fewer in-
vestment announcements,
they have been exception-
ally less this year, the
bank’s economic research
department said in a note
based on data from the
could be explained by in-
vestors adopting a wait-
and-watch approach amid
the Lok Sabha election,
this tally is far lower than
in the corresponding quar-
ters during the Lok Sabha
elections in 2014 and 2019.
New investment plans
were at ₹2.9 lakh crore in
Q1 of 2014-15 and ₹2.1 lakh
crore in Q1 of 2019-20.
CONTINUED ON
» PAGE 10

6 Monday, July 8, 2024
Old traditions, new ties
Narendra Modi must try and convince
Vladimir Putin to end the Ukraine war
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to
Moscow on Monday reaffirms an old tra-
dition of holding annual summits bet-
ween India and Russia leaders. With Russia his
first choice for a bilateral visit in his third tenure,
he also breaks a tradition that Indian Prime Mi-
nisters travel to neighbouring countries on their
first stand-alone visits in a tenure, indicating the
importance of the India-Russia partnership. The
22nd India-Russia Annual Summit has another
first — the first Modi-Putin meet since the Ukraine
war. The 21st summit was in Delhi in December
2021, just before Russian President Vladimir Pu-
tin launched “special operations” on Ukraine.
Since then, the two leaders have met just once, at
the SCO summit in Uzbekistan, where Mr. Modi
had stated that this was not the “era of war”. Rus-
sia’s growing dependence on China as a result of
the war is also a concern for India, given tensions
over the LAC. While there will be a scheduled fra-
mework of talks on bilateral issues (trade and
energy relationships, space cooperation for Ga-
ganyaan, and declining but substantial defence
supplies), there will also be an opportunity to
take stock of the war in Ukraine. Apart from its
impact and western sanctions on global security,
and shortages of food, fuel and fertilizers, India
has been worried about its fallout on defence de-
liveries and spares from Russia. While an attempt
to “Make in India” has made headway (Russian
assault rifles and the India-Russia BrahMos mis-
sile), concerns over the reliability of supplies and
the payments issue will need discussion. New
Delhi’s concern over Indian recruitments by the
Russian army is another issue, officials indicate.
Above all, Mr. Modi’s visit sends a geopolitical
message given the contrast to another summit in
Washington. On Tuesday, U.S. President Joseph
Biden will welcome leaders of NATO countries
for the transatlantic grouping’s 75th anniversary.
With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
and Indo-Pacific leaders who are part of the west-
ern sanctions present, it will be a show of
strength supposed to demonstrate Russia’s “iso-
lation”. Mr. Modi has attempted a balance with
his presence at the G-7 summit outreach in Italy
last month and meeting Mr. Zelenskyy, and later
sending an official delegation to the Peace Confe-
rence in Switzerland. The government has also
shown its enduring commitment to traditional
ties with Russia that stem from the 1971 Soviet Un-
ion Peace and Friendship treaty, by refusing to
condemn the war at the UN and other multilater-
al forums, while continuing to engage with Russia
bilaterally and at groupings such as the SCO,
BRICS and the G-20. All eyes during Mr. Modi’s vi-
sit will then be on how he uses India’s particular
multi-polar, unaligned perch to further the cause
of “dialogue and diplomacy” and help hasten an
end to the conflict that has divided the world.
Winds of change
The rest of the world must do more to
engage with reformists in Iran
T
he victory of Masoud Pezeshkian, a refor-
mist who opposes moral policing of wo-
men and calls for engagement rather
than confrontation with the West, in Iran’s presi-
dential run-off, shows that the Islamic Republic,
plagued by economic woes and social tensions, is
still capable of springing a surprise. Until a few
months ago, Iran’s executive, legislature and jud-
iciary were controlled by the so-called ‘principal-
ists’ (conservatives), who were opposed to re-
forms. The last few years also saw protests and
state repression. The revolution seemed to be
ageing. Yet, the Islamic Republic has elected a
candidate who calls for change, in a poll that was
necessitated by the death of Ebrahim Raisi, a con-
servative, in a helicopter crash in May. Mr. Pe-
zeshkian, whose only administrative experience
was a cabinet berth in the Khatami government
over two decades ago, was a relatively obscure fi-
gure until last month. When his candidacy was
cleared by the Guardian Council, Iran’s reformist
coalition, which had been weakened after back-
to-back electoral setbacks, threw its weight be-
hind him. Mr. Khatami, and Hassan Rouhani,
moderate cleric and President from 2013-21, en-
dorsed him. In the July 5 run-off, he won 53.6%
votes to beat conservative rival Saeed Jalili.
In recent years, a growing number of Iran’s vo-
ters have stayed away from elections as a protest
against the system. In the first round of the presi-
dential election, the 39.9% turnout fuelled de-
bates about the legitimacy crisis of the semi-re-
presentative system. But the possibility of a
reformist victory brought more voters in the run-
off. The nearly 50% turnout helped Mr. Pezesh-
kian defeat Mr. Jalili despite a conservative conso-
lidation behind him. This also means that the vo-
ters have high hopes about Mr. Pezeshkian, who
in the past has spoken out against the way prot-
ests were handled by security personnel. He also
backs dialogue with the West to revive the 2015
nuclear deal, which was sabotaged by Washing-
ton in 2018. It is to be seen how far he can go in a
system tightly controlled by the Shia clergy. Iran’s
President, the highest elected official, has limited
powers in the country’s theocracy which is com-
manded by the Supreme Leader. But with his
strong mandate, Mr. Pezeshkian should not shy
away from pushing for change. The clerical esta-
blishment should see his victory as a message
from the public. This is an opportunity to pro-
mote gradual reforms at home and careful en-
gagement with the world. If Mr. Pezeshkian and
the clergy reach common ground, Iran has a
chance to ride out the storms engulfing it.
Editorial
A law around low-carbon climate resilient development
I
n a landmark judgment, the Supreme
Court of India recently recognised a right
to be “free from the adverse impacts of
climate change” in M.K. Ranjitsinh and
Others vs Union of India — sourcing it from the
right to life and the right to equality. In a previous
article on this page in this daily, “Court on climate
right and how India can enforce it” ( July 1, 2024),
we argued that while this is indeed an important
step in establishing climate jurisprudence in
India, it raises the very important question of just
how this right will be protected.
Earlier, we had suggested that a patchwork of
judicial interventions would fall short of the
encompassing and systemic approach climate
change requires. There is, therefore, a strong case
for climate legislation, but only if it is tailored to
the Indian context. Taking this issue forward
provides an opportunity, but also a challenge, for
the new government.
Law to inform development choices
Preparing India to reduce the risks of climate
change and address its impacts requires nothing
less than re-orienting development toward
low-carbon and climate resilient futures. Any law
that attempts to take this on must ensure these
objectives are internalised in routine
decision-making at all levels of development.
Because climate change relentlessly targets the
vulnerable, and because an energy transition
must be just, it must be grounded in the
imperative of advancing social justice.
While the concept of climate law is often
associated with a top-down approach of setting
and achieving targets, in a developing country,
this approach is limited because addressing
climate change is about more than limiting
emissions.
Instead, it requires careful, ongoing,
consideration of each developmental choice and
its long-run synergies and tradeoffs with
low-carbon and climate resilient futures. To
achieve this, the substantive right of protection
against adverse effects of climate change must be
realised, in part, through well-defined procedures
in law that are applicable across levels of
government. Climate action is more credible
when a well-designed institutional structure is
strategising, prioritising, troubleshooting and
evaluating policies behind the scenes.
Several countries (67 according to one
estimate) have experimented with ‘framework
climate laws’ that build governance capacity to
address climate change. Umbrella laws that define
government-wide goals and substantiate them
with a set of processes and accountability
measures are a known and increasingly popular
way of bringing climate action to the heart of
government.
However, these laws vary, and India’s
approach must be tailored to our context.
Starting from a low base of per capita emissions —
less than half the global average — India’s
The ANRF plan has got off on the wrong foot
I
n 2023, both Houses of Parliament passed
the Anusandhan National Research
Foundation (ANRF) Bill, marking a historic
start to an initiative to seed, grow, and facilitate
research in India, especially in India’s universities
and colleges.
The 2019 National Research Foundation (NRF)
project report explicitly mentioned that “growing
outstanding research cells already existing at
State Universities” is one of the ANRF’s top
priority. The scientific community welcomed the
Bill and was hoping that the ANRF would provide
much-needed breathing space for Indian
academia for research free from the bureaucracy,
in addition to providing a funding boost and a
chance to work together with industry partners.
Lack of industry representation
Nearly a year later and the ANRF has got off on
the wrong foot. Recently, it announced a
15-member Governing Board and a 16-member
Executive Council, which lack representation
from organisations the ANRF envisioned aiding
and facilitating.
For example, the ANRF aims to strengthen the
research infrastructure of universities. Even
acknowledging that more than 95% of students
attend State universities and colleges in India, the
board and the executive council do not have any
members from Central or State universities or
colleges. In addition to the Principal Scientific
Adviser, they are represented by people who are
usually in any high-powered committees of the
Government of India — Secretaries from all
science departments (Department of Science and
Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology
(DBT), Department of Scientific and Industrial
Research (DSIR), earth sciences, agriculture,
THE HINDU
Navroz K. Dubash emissions are still growing, and our objective
should be to squeeze out as much development
Senior Fellow at the
Sustainable Futures
as possible from each ton of carbon and avoid
locking-in to high carbon futures. Moreover, India
Collaborative is highly vulnerable to climate impacts, and
climate resilience must be an essential element of
the new law. In meeting both objectives,
Aditya Valiathan considerations of social equity must be central.
Pillai Consequently, India’s law must ensure
Fellow at the development, but in a low-carbon direction while
Sustainable Futures building resilience to ever more pervasive climate
Collaborative impacts.
What we arrive at, then, is a law that helps
navigate developmental choices. It must create
the basis for thoughtful decision-making toward
Shibani Ghosh achieving a low-carbon, resilient society. For
Visiting Fellow at the example, since Indian cities are still growing and
Sustainable Futures changing rapidly, what could low-carbon, climate
Collaborative resilient cities of the future look like? And what
levers exist to shape those cities? How can city
planning minimise the risk of floods and
vulnerability to heatwaves? How should transport
needs be met through technology shifts such as
electric vehicle adoption and greater attention to
public transport and lifestyle shifts?
Have a low carbon development body
A framework climate law should lay out an
institutional structure capable of crafting viable
answers to these questions. Our ongoing work at
the Sustainable Futures Collaborative provides
some suggestions. An immediate priority is to
create a knowledge body in government capable
of rigorously parsing policy options and the
futures they might generate. We recommend an
independent ‘low-carbon development
commission’, staffed with experts and technical
staff, which could offer both national and State
governments practical ways of achieving
low-carbon growth and resilience.
This body could also serve as a platform for
deliberative decision-making. Vulnerable
communities and those that may lose from
technological change need to be systematically
consulted. Hearing their concerns and
incorporating some of their ideas could lead to
longer-lasting policy outcomes. An example is
South Africa’s Presidential Climate Commission,
which is tasked with charting a course toward just
transition based on inputs and representations
from stakeholders.
Effective climate governance also requires the
ability to set directions, make strategic choices,
and encourage the consideration of low carbon
choices and climate change impacts within line
The ‘M.K. ministries. Accordingly, the law could create a
Ranjitsinh’ high-level strategic body, which we label a
judgment must ‘climate cabinet’, a core group of Ministers plus
representation from Chief Ministers of States,
be used to pass
tasked with driving strategy through government.
a climate law Across the world, climate policy is often defeated
that is well by siloed decision-making. This is one way of
suited to the fixing it.
Indian context A whole-of-government approach will also
health research, atomic energy, new and
renewable energy, electronics and information
technology), higher education and defence
research and development, directors of the
Indian Institute of Science and Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, the Chair of the Indian
Binay Panda Council of Historical Research, a Princeton
Professor at the mathematics professor, a science administrator
Jawaharlal Nehru and former Director of the United States National
University Science Foundation from Brown University and a
Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur.
However, the board and the council need
representatives who understand the bottlenecks
in the current system, especially in the university
system, and know how to get things done on the
ground rather than being in an advisory role.
Most importantly, the ANRF needs to avoid the
confusion that can arise from multiple
committees. Therefore, creating a single
committee to formulate and implement strategies
on the ground is crucial. This emphasis on
ground-level knowledge and experience among
The composition the committee members should reassure the
of the research community and stakeholders that the
ANRF’s decision-making process will be
Anusandhan
informed, competent, and timely.
National The lack of adequate industry representation
Research and diversity is one of the most glaring omissions
Foundation’s from the current board and council, especially
governing board when the ANRF plans to raise more than 70% of
and executive its funding from non-government sources and
council shows industry. The sole industry representative,
Romesh T. Wadhwani, is an Indian-American
that it could
businessman based in Silicon Valley, U.S., and the
become just sole woman representative is the Secretary of the
another DSIR. There is no representation from Indian
government industry or any entrepreneurs from the country
department or eminent academics from the Central and State
Delhi
require dedicated coordination mechanisms for
implementation. The Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change should continue to
play a central role, but it needs to be
complemented by higher-level coordination.
Here, the pre-existing Executive Committee on
Climate Change (made up of senior bureaucrats
from multiple Ministries), provides a useful
template but only if it is reinvigorated with clearly
specified legal powers and duties.
Engagement with the federal structure
Not least, the law must pay attention to India’s
federal structure. Many areas crucial to reducing
emissions and improving resilience — electricity,
agriculture, water, health and soil — are wholly or
partially the preserve of State and local
governments. When a climate impact is felt, it is
felt first, and most viscerally, at local levels.
Any institutional structure or regulatory
instrument created to protect the Court’s newly
established climate right must meaningfully
engage with subnational governments. First, the
law must establish a channel for subnational
governments to access national scientific
capacity, potentially through the low-carbon
development commission as an intermediary, as
a step toward solving the pervasive problem of
insufficient local climate scientific capacity.
Second, it could articulate ways of financing
local action, for example by requiring
centrally-sponsored schemes to be more aligned
with climate goals or by requiring national
departments to climate tag expenditure towards
local climate resilience.
Third, the law could establish coordination
mechanisms that allow the Centre and States to
consult on major climate decisions. It could also
require the Centre and States to put out
periodically updated medium-term climate plans
built around unified goals. To enable
development of State-specific solutions, States
could also build complementary institutions to
those at the Centre, providing knowledge,
strategy-setting, deliberation and coordination
functions.
The framework law proposed here — one that
enables and catalyses action across national
Ministries and the federal structure — cannot be
the only legal tool in the country’s regulatory
arsenal. Complementary sectoral laws and
amendments may be required, but they would be
informed by the approach laid out by the
framework law.
The Court’s historical pronouncement in M.K.
Ranjitsinh opens the door to legal and
governance changes that make possible an
actionable right against the adverse effects of
climate change. But to realise this promise, this
open door has to actually be used to pass a
climate law that is well suited to the Indian
context, that steers Indian development choices
toward a low-carbon and climate resilient future,
and that also advances justice.
universities on the committee.
R&D underfunding
India underfunds research and development. In
addition to increasing the research and
development budget to 4% of GDP, a significant
overhaul of the current funding system is
required to boost research and to make
innovation coming out of Indian organisations
globally competitive. To achieve this, the ANRF
must: be adequately staffed; implement a robust
grant management system; have an internal
standard peer-review system with an incentive for
reviewers; ensure timely disbursal of research
grants and student fellowships with a quick
turn-around time (less than six months) between
application and fund disbursal; have a system
free from bureaucratic hurdles both at the
funding body and at grantee institutions; provide
flexibility of spending money without following
the government’s stringent general financial rules
(GFR), and permit purchases without going
through the Government e-marketplace (GeM)
portal.
The ANRF must function unlike any other
current government science department, It
should have more diverse representations of
practising natural and social scientists from the
university system, with more women and young
entrepreneurs in its committee. Additionally, the
future chief executive officer of the ANRF must
have a background in both industry and
academia, and be someone who can raise money
for the ANRF and understand the global
innovation ecosystem. A complete overhaul is
required for the ANRF to avoid becoming like any
other government department and to bridge
research and teaching in our universities.

Monday, July 8, 2024
Delhi
The problem of special packages
C
oalition politics is back
at the Union level in a
substantial way. The
Bharatiya Janata Party is
dependent on the Janata Dal
(United) of Bihar and the Telugu
Desam Party of Andhra Pradesh
for its parliamentary majority.
This is in contrast to 2014 and
2019, when de facto single-party
governments came to office. With
single-party majority becoming a
thing of the past, demand for
State-specific discretionary grants,
or ‘special packages’, are back
with a bang in public discussion.
The positive aspect of
single-party dominance being
tempered by the presence of
coalition partners that can act as a
check if unitary trends surge
cannot be underestimated.
Nevertheless, this is the time to
test the hypothesis that when
single-party dominance at the
Union level fades, federal
tendencies bloom and when a
single-party majority under a
strong leader at the Union level
prevails, federal tendencies wilt.
If a healthy federal structure is
to be nurtured, the fiscal
boundaries, principles of
assignment of taxes, and the basis
for grants have to be transparent
and objective. A federal setup can
be asymmetric in a country that is
characterised by linguistic,
cultural, and economic diversity.
But issues of asymmetry should be
addressed by means of
constitutional provisions that have
both transparency and stability.
The Constitution has provisions
that address the issues of specific
States, or States that have a special
status with regard to certain
matters mentioned in the
Constitution. These provisions are
covered, for instance, in Articles
371A to H (Article 370 for the
erstwhile State of Jammu and
Kashmir, of course, is abrogated).
Purely discretionary
On the contrary, special packages
are purely discretionary. They
may be need-based, but the need
is not the proximate reason for
granting a special package, which
is an additional grant under
Article 282, which falls under
‘Miscellaneous Financial
Provisions’. More often than not,
they are the result of the
bargaining power of some
R. Mohan State-level political parties that
can tilt the scales of parliamentary
a former Indian majority. What does this augur for
Revenue Service the health of our federal set-up?
officer
That the outcome of an election
can determine the fiscal
distribution of national resources
to a State or States goes against the
grain of fiscal federalism (or, more
correctly, of federal finance).
Some States may be justified in
their demands for funds, but
allocation has to be through the
mechanism of the Finance
Commission. The Commission is
constituted by the President every
five years or earlier to make
recommendations regarding the
distribution of a share of taxes
collected by the Union to the
States, and how this is to be
distributed among the States, as
per Article 280; and disbursement
of grants to States in need of
assistance, as provided in Article
275. The 16th Finance
Commission, which is already in
existence, cannot be bypassed
solely on account of partisan
political exigencies.
When the same political party
is in power at the Union and State
levels, it is called a ‘double-engine
sarkar. The main engine has lost
the power to run on its own and
the owners of smaller engines that
are needed to pull the train along
are making their own demands.
While individual States may well
need special packages, process is
of the utmost importance. How
That the
have these events impacted the
outcome of an political and fiscal relations
election can between the Union and the States?
determine the
fiscal Federal tendencies
distribution of The first issue here is the extent to
national which our polity is federal. The
Constitution has been famously
resources to a
described as having a quasi-federal
State or States framework. C.H. Alexandrowicz,
goes against the however, disputed this description
grain of fiscal in his work Constitutional
federalism Developments in India (1957),
THE HINDU
7
Opinion
stating that in situations other
than an Emergency, it assumes a
federal character. The Supreme
Court has made the succinct
observation that our polity is
amphibian — it can assume unitary
and federal characters depending
on whether or not there is an
Emergency under Articles 352 and
356 in force (State of Rajasthan
and Others v Union of India, 1977).
Be that as it may, it is often
argued that the prevailing political
environment crucially determines
whether federal tendencies bloom
or wilt. Keeping this proposition in
mind, the hypothesis stated above
can be put to test.
How fiscal distribution is done
is cardinal in the test of whether
or not federalism is strong. In the
recent past, some States raised
concerns about their share in the
divisible pool of Union taxes facing
a decline. Tax distribution is
formula-based, and it is for the
16th Finance Commission to
address this issue and undertake
the delicate task of balancing the
interests of the States inter se, and
with those of the Centre.
The focus here is on grants, in
the disbursement of which scope
for discretion is wider. In our
constitutional framework, the
primary task of recommending
grants to States in need of
assistance is that of the Finance
Commission, until Parliament
makes legislation in this regard.
But the fact now is that the flow
of discretionary grants to the
States through Article 282 have far
overtaken (by almost a factor of
four) that of the grants
recommended by the Finance
Commissions. Acceding to
demands for special packages
which are raised by State-based
parties, holding the key to
parliamentary majority, will
weaken the foundations of fiscal
federalism, as it will result in
diverting national resources away
from other States, which too may
have pressing needs. If this is
allowed to happen, we will see the
paradox of federal tendencies
wilting instead of blooming when
single-party dominance fades.

Text&Context
NEWS IN NUMBERS
The groundwater lost
in north India from
2002 to 2021
450
cubic kilometres.
Further, using on-site
observations, satellite
data and models, it was found that across
north India, rainfall in the monsoon season
has reduced by 8.5% during 1951-2021. PTI
On expunction powers in Parliament
Why did the Opposition engage in a war of words with the government over expunging certain remarks? What is the process to expunge remarks in Parliament?
Can a member of the Lok Sabha direct a remark against a Minister? What do the various rules state?
EXPLAINER
Sumeda
The story so far:
T
he first special session of the
18th Lok Sabha witnessed
heated discussions, with the
Opposition clashing with the
government over a range of issues,
ultimately concluding with a war of words
over the expunction of the remarks of the
leaders of Opposition in both Houses.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar
removed portions of Leader of Opposition
(LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge’s speech, which
was critical of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh. Meanwhile, in the Lower House,
parts of Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the
PM and the BJP were expunged from the
records on the orders of Speaker Om
Birla, sparking allegations of different
yardsticks being applied for different MPs.
When are remarks expunged?
Parliament maintains a verbatim record
of everything that is spoken and takes
place during proceedings. While Article
105 of the Constitution confers certain
privileges and freedom of speech in
Parliament on MPs, it is subject to other
provisions of the Constitution and the
rules of the House. On the orders of the
presiding officer, that is, the Chairman in
the Upper House and the Speaker in the
Lower House, words, phrases and
expressions which are deemed
“defamatory, indecent, unparliamentary
or undignified” are deleted or expunged
from records. For this purpose, the Lok
Sabha Secretariat maintains a
comprehensive list of ‘unparliamentary’
words and expressions.
The rules of parliamentary etiquette,
which are laid out to ensure discipline
and decorum in the Rajya Sabha, say,
“When the Chair holds that a particular
word or expression is unparliamentary, it
should be immediately withdrawn
without any attempt to raise any debate
Delhi www.thehindu.com Monday, July 8, 2024
● ●
War of words: Leader Of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge speaks in the House. ANI
over it. Words or expressions held to be
unparliamentary and ordered to be
expunged by the Chair are omitted from
the printed debates.”
There have been recorded instances
where the scope of expunction has been
broadened. Speakers, at their discretion,
have ordered the expunction of words
deemed prejudicial to national interest or
detrimental to maintaining friendly
relations with a foreign State, derogatory
to dignitaries, likely to offend national
sentiments or affect the religious
susceptibilities of a section of community,
likely to discredit the Army, not in good
taste or otherwise objectionable or likely
to bring the House into ridicule or lower
the dignity of the Chair, the House or the
members, authors M. N. Kaul and S. L.
Shakdher note in their book Practice and
Procedure of Parliament. For instance,
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru once
The share of Indians to
read ingredient lists:
Farmley
73
Report 2024 by Farmley aims to examine
the ever evolving consumption trends in
India. PTI
objected when a member referred to the
President of Pakistan while asking a
supplementary question about the
international situation. Mr. Nehru said it
would “not be proper” for the Head of a
foreign state to be mentioned in the
language the member had used. The
objectionable words were then expunged.
Members must withdraw objectionable
remarks deemed irrelevant to the debate
upon the Chair’s request and failure to
comply may lead to expunction. Similarly,
quoting from an unreferenced document
or speaking after being asked to desist can
result in an expunction.
What about remarks against an MP?
If an MP makes an allegation against their
colleague or an outsider, Rule 353 of the
Lok Sabha outlines the procedural
framework to be followed. “The Rule does
not prohibit the making of any allegation.
in per cent. Based on a survey
of over 6,000 people across
India, the Healthy Snacking
The only requirement is advance notice, THE GIST
on receipt of which the Minister
concerned will conduct an inquiry into
the allegation and come up with the facts 쑽
when the MP makes the allegation in the Rajya Sabha Chairman
House,” former Lok Sabha Secretary Jagdeep Dhankhar removed
General P.D.T. Achary says. If the portions of Mallikarjun
allegation is neither defamatory nor Kharge’s speech, which was
incriminatory, the above rule would not critical of Prime Minister
apply, he adds. Narendra Modi and the RSS.
“The rule does not obviously apply to Meanwhile, in the Lower
an allegation against a Minister in the House, parts of Rahul Gandhi’s
government. Since the Council of remarks on the PM and the BJP
Ministers is accountable to Parliament, were expunged from the
the Members of the House have the right records on the orders of
to question Ministers and make Speaker Om Birla.
imputations against their conduct as 쑽
Ministers,” Mr. Achary adds.
The Chairman and Speaker are
How do officers expunge remarks? vested with the power to order
The Chairman and Speaker are vested the expunction of remarks
under Rule 261, and Rule 380
with the power to order the expunction of
and 381 of the Rules of
remarks under Rule 261, and Rule 380
Procedure of the Rajya Sabha
and 381 of the Rules of Procedure of the and Lok Sabha, respectively.
Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, respectively.
Rule 261 states, “If the Chairman is of 쑽
opinion that a word or words have or However, the relevance of the
have been used in debate which is or are practice of expunging remarks
defamatory or indecent or has lately come into question,
unparliamentary or undignified, he may in a digital age where
in his discretion, order that such word or expunged content remains
words be expunged from the proceedings accessible due to the live
of the Council.” The Lower House has a telecast of proceedings and
similar provision. wider circulation of
The expunged portions are marked by screenshots and videos on
asterisks with an explanatory footnote social media.
stating ‘expunged as ordered by the
Chair.’ If the Chair directs that nothing
will go on record during a member’s
speech or interruption, footnote ‘not
recorded’ is inserted. A comprehensive
list of words and phrases is circulated to
media outlets at the end of the day’s
proceedings. Once expunged, these
words or phrases cease to exist on the
official record. However, the relevance of
the practice of expunging remarks has
lately come into question, in a digital age
where expunged content remains
accessible due to the live telecast of
proceedings and wider circulation of
screenshots and videos on social media.
 THE HINDU
10 Monday, July 8, 2024

News Delhi

From Page One Red flags raised over runaway silver

Private investment plans imports from UAE through GIFT City
slumped to 20-year low Concerns emerge over how imports cleared through GIFT City meet rules of origin requirements specified in India-UAE pact
when importers from other ports fail to meet these; trade research body seeks probe into ties between export, import firms
Another factor for the slowdown could be that the
last two years have seen high investment announ-
cements that are yet to run their course. Vikas Dhoot RBI/DGFT-nominated GTRI chief Ajay Srivastava
“... A good monsoon and steady demand dur- NEW DELHI agencies, registers private said.
ing the festival season which starts from the end of traders, and has found no GTRI has mooted a re-
August and lasts till December would be the time n a major disruption rules of origin issues as negotiation of the CEPA
when investment could increase at a faster pace,”
the Bank of Baroda report concluded.
Data on corporate bond issuances as well as
I for the bullion market,
almost all of India’s sil-
ver imports are now being
flagged
elsewhere.
by customs

Under the CEPA signed

terms to nullify the duty ar-
bitrage, and more rigorous
check on Dubai exporters’
bank credit flows for Q1 seem to corroborate the handled by a few private in 2022, India has agreed value addition claims by
trend of slowing investment plans, the report not- players bringing the white to reduce the duty on sil- the GIFT City exchange
ed. Corporate bond issues fell sharply from ₹2.86 metal from Dubai through ver imports to 0% over 10 and a “thorough investiga-
lakh crore in the first quarter of 2023-24 to ₹1.73 the GIFT City exchange, years, subject to Dubai ex- tion into the relationships
lakh crore in Q1 this year, with over three-quarters which could cause signifi- porters meeting the rules between export and im-
raised by financial services players. Between April cant revenue losses for the of origin conditions. port firms to identify and
1 and June 14, incremental bank credit was ₹2.78 exchequer over time. India’s imports of gold and silver from the UAE had jumped 210% in “As the tariff becomes address any potential con-
lakh crore as against ₹3.78 lakh crore last year, A trade research body 2023-24 to $10.7 billion. GETTY IMAGES/ ISTOCKPHOTO zero over the next eight flicts of interest or familial
with growth slipping to 1.7% from 2.5% last year. has sought a probe into the years, all silver imports will ties”.
Within the ₹44,000-odd crore investments an- relationships between ex- 8% duty and were cleared how the imports cleared likely come from the UAE, It had also suggested
nounced over Q1, manufacturing outlays dominat- port and import firms to through the GIFT City ex- through GIFT City meet resulting in a revenue loss restricting silver imports to
ed with a 46.4% share followed almost evenly by identify and address any change in Gandhinagar, the rules of origin require- of ₹6,700 crore. This trade nominated agencies auth-
electricity and services. potential conflicts of inter- which has been clearing all ments specified in the In- is driven solely by the tariff orised by the RBI and
“Interestingly, over the period between June est, while warning that this silver imports from the dia-UAE CEPA [Compre- arbitrage offered by India,” DGFT to minimise the risk
2023 and June 2024, the fall in value of investment silver market trend could UAE since December 2023. hensive Economic GTRI warned. of misdeclared imports.
announcements was ₹7.4 lakh crore. Of this, the extend to gold, platinum, Imports from other coun- Partnership Agreement] “The key concern is “When banks like Yes
major dip was accounted for by the transport ser- and diamonds, further dis- tries and ports are virtually when importers from oth- how imports cleared Bank and RBL Bank at-
vices sector at 61%,” the report said, linking this to rupting traditional import abandoned. er ports fail to meet these,” through GIFT City meet tempted to import silver
the airline industry’s plans to buy new aircraft an- practices and market dy- Earlier attempts by it noted. the rules of origin require- from the UAE at the con-
nounced last year. namics. some banks to import sil- India levies a 15% import ments specified in the In- cessional 8% duty through
This pattern would be observed in the coming India’s imports of gold ver from the UAE through duty on silver and only al- dia-UAE FTA when impor- Chennai and Bengaluru
quarters too as these plans are unlikely to be res- and silver from the UAE other ports were ques- lows institutions nominat- ters from other ports fail to ports, customs authorities
tored until the earlier orders are executed fully, had jumped 210% in 2023- tioned for not meeting ed by the Reserve Bank of meet these. This is strange demanded details on the
the bank’s economists noted. “Another 20% of the 24 to $10.7 billion. Total sil- rules of origin of the India- India (RBI) and the Direc- as the Dubai-based sup- rules of origin. The firms
decline of the order of around ₹1.5 lakh crore was ver imports stood at $5.4 UAE free trade deal, think torate General of Foreign pliers may be the same in could not comply,” the
in the electricity sector. In the past, most of the billion. tank Global Trade Re- Trade (DGFT) to import both cases. There is appre- GTRI report said, adding
additions have been in the renewable space and In May, 87% of India’s search Initiative (GTRI) the precious metal. Howev- hension that imports from that officials required
here too a slowdown may be expected,” the report global silver imports came flagged in a report. er, the GIFT City exchange GIFT City might violate proof that the imports met
reckoned. from Dubai at a reduced “The key concern is does not limit imports to rules of origin conditions,” the CEPA conditions.

‘Take nation into confidence

on border situation at LAC’
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI

Citing news reports of a

Chinese military base be-
ing built near Pangong Tso,
Congress president Malli-
karjun Kharge on Sunday
attacked the Narendra Mo-
di government demanding
that the country be taken
into confidence on the bor-
der situation with China.
Mr. Kharge shared a
news report which said
that the Chinese military
had built bunkers to store
weapons and fuel and har-
dened shelters for ar-
moured vehicles in an area
around Pangong Lake in
eastern Ladakh.
Mr. Kharge asked, “How
can China build a military
base near Pangong Tso on
land which was under In-
dian occupation until May
2020?”
He held the Modi go-
vernment responsible for
not maintaining the status
quo ante at the LAC, with
India losing possession of
26 patrolling points out of
65, including points in the
Depsang Plains, Demchok
and Gogra Hot Springs
area.
“The Indian National
Congress once again reiter-
Indian Army trucks near the Pangong Lake in Ladakh. AP
ates its demand to take the
nation into confidence on
the border situation at the
LAC. We stand shoulder to
shoulder with our valiant
soldiers,” Mr. Kharge said
in a post on X.
He said this was the fifth
year of giving clean chits to
China.
He cited Mr. Modi’s in-
terview in the run-up to
the elections on April 10 to
foreign press where, ac-
cording to Mr. Kharge, the
PM failed to put forth In-
dia’s case strongly. Exter-
nal Affairs Minister S. Jaish-
ankar also in an interview
said “China has not occu-
pied any of our land”, ex-
posing the Modi govern-
ment’s “meek policy”
towards China, he stated.
‘Occupying territory’
Mr. Kharge underlined that
on July 4, Mr. Jaishankar
met his Chinese counter-
part. During the meeting,
he spoke about “respect-
ing the LAC and ensuring
peace and tranquillity in
the border areas...”
But parallelly, Mr.
Kharge said, “China conti-
nues to be belligerent, oc-
cupying our territory and
constructing a military
base at Sirijap, reportedly
land that was under Indian
control.”

Coffee-table book on over 1,200-year-old

Samayapuram Mariamman temple released
The Hindu Bureau
TIRUCHI
The Hindu Group of Publi-
cations has brought out a
coffee-table book, Sa-
mayapuram — The Sacred
Seat of Shakti.
The glossy book was
placed at the feet of God-
dess Mariamman on the
premises of the Samayapu-
ram temple near Tiruchi
on Sunday to mark its re-
lease at a simple function.
Authored by Vrinda Ra-
manan, a qualified Bhara-
tanatyam dancer and
teacher, and J. Ramanan, a
practising architect, the
190-page book describes
every aspect associated
with the Mother Goddess
who reigns supreme in Sa-
mayapuram village.
The first copy of the
book was handed over to
K. Manivasan, Additional
Chief Secretary, Water Re-
sources Department, by
Mr. Ramanan in the pre-
sence of Tiruchi Collector
M. Pradeep Kumar; author
Ms. Ramanan; Samayapu-
ram temple Joint Commis-
sioner/Executive Officer S.
Kalyani; Sridhar Aranala,
From left: S. Kalyani, Joint Commissioner/Executive Officer, Arulmigu Samayapuram Mariamman Temple; Vice-President, Sales and
Vrinda Ramanan, author; K. Manivasan, Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Department; Distribution, The Hindu
M. Pradeep Kumar, Collector, Tiruchi; J. Ramanan, author; and Sridhar Aranala, Vice-President, Sales and Group; and temple offi-
Distribution, The Hindu Group, at the launch of the book on Sunday. M. MOORTHY cials.
Priced at ₹2,999, the cof-
Divided into different pujas and abhishekam to has a historical past with fee-table book can be pur-
sections, the book, with at- the deity, the sacred theer- interesting legends that are chased online by visiting
tractive images, has inter- thams, and extreme devo- woven around Goddess The Hindu Online Book
esting stories about God- tion exhibited by the devo- Mariamman, believed to Store — https://publica-
dess Mariamman — the tees to Goddess be an incarnation of God- tions.thehindugroup.com/
Mother Goddess, the an- Mariamman. dess Durga, Mahakali, Adi bookstore/
cient legends, the festive The temple, which is Shakti, or Nishumbha The launch offer of 20%
celebrations of the temple, more than 1,200 years old, Sudhini. is for a limited period.

Monday, July 8, 2024
Delhi
PM’s visit to Moscow will see
discussions on energy, trade
Putin to host private dinner and spend personal time with Modi at his Dacha in a special gesture ahead of formal talks on
Tuesday; both leaders will visit an exhibition venue for Rosatom on nuclear power-related technology developments
Suhasini Haidar
MOSCOW
rime Minister Na-
P rendra Modi will
arrive here on
Monday to a particularly
warm and special welcome
at a private dinner hosted
by Russian President Vladi-
mir Putin at his Dacha, or
estate, in the Moscow sub-
urb of Novo-Ogaryovo.
The two leaders are
meeting for the first time
since 2022. It is Mr. Modi’s
first visit to Russia since the
war in Ukraine began and
his own first visit abroad
for bilateral talks after be-
ing re-elected to office in
June. The two leaders will
be together for most of the
events during the approxi-
mately 26-hour visit.
Mr. Modi will land on
Monday afternoon and re-
ceive a ceremonial wel-
come at the Vanukovo air-
port and travel to his hotel
across from the iconic Red
Square that houses the
Kremlin, where schoolchil-
dren and members of the
Indian community will
greet him. The one-on-one
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin
at the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand. FILE PHOTO
dinner with Mr. Putin will
reciprocate the dinner Mr.
Modi had hosted for the
Russian President during
his visit to Delhi the last
time an India-Russia Sum-
mit was held, in December
2021. It is expected to set
the tone for formal talks
the next day.
On Tuesday, Mr. Modi
will address members of
the Indian community at a
reception for about 500
people at his hotel. He will
then pay respects at the
Tomb of the Unknown Sol-
dier, a memorial to Russian
soldiers who had died in
war. Mr. Modi will be
joined by Mr. Putin for a vi-
sit to an exhibition venue
for Rosatom on nuclear
power-related technology
developments, a key seg-
ment of bilateral ties, after
which they will go into for-
mal meetings and delega-
tion level-talks at the
Kremlin.
Sources aware of the
planning said that the din-
ner at the Dacha on Mon-
day is a special gesture by
the Russian President, ex-
tended only to a few global
leaders. For Mr. Putin, Mr.
Modi’s visit, close on the
THE HINDU
News
heels of his state visits to
China and North Korea,
meetings on the sidelines
of the Shanghai Coopera-
tion Organization (SCO)
summit in Astana last
week, as well as hosting
Hungarian Prime Minister
Viktor Orban a few days
ago, adds to an effort to
show that the while the
“Western alliance” may
wish to isolate him for the
war in Ukraine, the “global
majority”, as the Kremlin
refers to it, maintains close
and personal ties with him.
When asked, Indian
Ambassador Vinay Kumar
said that the scheduling of
Mr. Modi’s visit should be
seen in the “bilateral con-
text” alone. “Since there
have been no annual sum-
mits since 2021, it was a
priority to resume the bi-
lateral summit mechan-
ism, and both sides have
been working towards
this,” Mr. Kumar told The
Hindu at the Indian Embas-
sy in Moscow on Sunday.
Recovering ground lost
over three years will be at
the top of the agenda of the
22nd Annual Summit.
Officials said that official
talks and delegation-level
talks on Tuesday will focus
on addressing trade and
banking challenges due to
western sanctions, the pos-
sibility of more predictable
pricing and long-term con-
tracts for Indian energy im-
ports in oil and LNG, op-
portunities for investment,
as well as connectivity pro-
jects such as the Interna-
tional North South Tran-
sport Corridor (INSTC), the
Chennai-Vladivostok mari-
time route, and the North
Sea corridor. Here too,
sanctions against Russia as
well as Iran are a factor and
require discussion, and the
two sides are expected to
sign a separate agreement
on cooperation in the Rus-
sian “Far East” region.
While no new defence
procurement deals are on
the anvil, Mr. Modi is ex-
pected to request expedit-
ing delayed deliveries. The
issue of Indians in the Rus-
sian Army will feature, as
Mr. Modi will press for ear-
ly discharge or even a full
waiver of the processes for
those wishing to return.
Trade imbalance, Indians
in Russian Army among
key concerns for diaspora
Suhasini Haidar
MOSCOW
Tackling issues arising
from the Ukraine war will
be at the top of the agenda
for many members of the
Indian diaspora who will
attend a community event
that Prime Minister Naren-
dra Modi will address dur-
ing his Moscow visit.
These include trade and
payment imbalances as
well as the danger to In-
dians recruited by the Rus-
sian military serving at the
frontlines. Among the
more than 500 invitees to
the event to be held at a ho-
tel on Tuesday morning
will be businessmen, stu-
dents and doctors, who
form a part of the roughly
14,000-strong diaspora
that works here, as well as
25,000-30,000 Indians es-
timated to be studying in
Russia.
The post-Ukraine war
situation should be a “gol-
den era” for India-Russia
relations, says Rameshwar
Singh, who has lived in
Russia for more than 40
years, and runs the NGO
Disha. He says however,
that the “vacuum” created
by Western companies
pulling out of the country
has not yet been filled by
Indian companies, and
hopes the Modi-Putin meet
will yield a breakthrough
on the payment issues ex-
isting companies face.
Another issue for the
diaspora is a possible
strain in India-Russia ties
over the problem of In-
dians being recruited by
the Russian military, and
sent to the warfront with
Ukraine. With growing pu-
blic pressure from their fa-
milies in India for the Mi-
nistry of External Affairs to
push for their early dis-
charge, Indian Ambassa-
dor to Russia Vinay Kumar
said that issue had become
a “public concern” for In-
dia. “We have raised this
bilaterally earlier including
11
We have raised
this bilaterally
earlier ... requesting an
early military discharge
for the Indians. The issue
could be raised in Prime
Minister’s meeting too
VINAY KUMAR
Indian Ambassador to Russia
in the meeting with Fo-
reign Minister Sergey Lav-
rov, requesting an early
military discharge for the
Indians, many of whom
have been misled or given
false promises and found
themselves in dangerous
situations. The issue could
be raised in PM’s meeting
too,” he told The Hindu.
Beenish is one of dozens
of students volunteering as
interpreters during the
PM’s visit. She and other
students who spoke to The
Hindu say they hope that
India-Russia strategic ties,
that have seen a slowing in
recent years will now pick
up pace. “Russia is seeking
more trusted partners like
India. We hope to hear Mr.
Modi speak about how bi-
lateral ties will be further
strengthened,” she said.

12
INBRIEF
쑽
Lakhs of devotees throng Puri
to witness annual Rath Yatra
Amidst the sweltering heat and humidity, lakhs
of devotees on Sunday thronged the coastal town
of Puri in Odisha to witness the annual Rath
Yatra. The rituals associated with the yatra are
being performed over two days this year after 53
years. The last time this happened was in 1971.
President Droupadi Murmu, Chief Minister
Mohan Charan Majhi and ministerial colleagues,
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,
and former CM Naveen Patnaik reached the town
to pay obeisance to the sibling deities – Lord
Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath, and Devi Subhadra.
Despite the police making elaborate
arrangements to prevent a stampede-like
situation, a devotee died in the rush.
Bail cannot be withheld as a
form of punishment, says SC
The Hindu Bureau
NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court has
held that the right to bail of
an accused cannot be with-
held as a punishment irres-
pective of the nature of the
crime.
Refusal to grant bail is
an unjust punishment
leading to “prisonisation”
of an accused, who is inno-
cent until proven guilty,
the apex court reminded.
“If the state or any pro-
secuting agency, including
the court concerned, has
no wherewithal to provide
or protect the fundamental
right of an accused to have
a speedy trial as enshrined
under Article 21 of the Con-
stitution then the state or
any other prosecuting
agency should not oppose
the plea for bail on the
ground that the crime
committed is serious. Arti-
cle 21 of the Constitution
applies irrespective of the
THE HINDU
News
nature of the crime,” a
Bench of Justices J.B. Pardi-
wala and Ujjal Bhuyan ob-
served in a recent order.
The order was based on
an appeal filed by Javed
Gulam Nabi Shaikh against
a Bombay High Court deci-
sion refusing him bail in a
case under the provisions
of the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967
(UAPA).
Rejects NIA request
The top court refused a re-
quest made by the National
Investigation Agency (NIA)
Monday, July 8, 2024
Delhi
to adjourn the matter and
decided to give Shaikh his
liberty back. The Bench
noted that he has been lan-
guishing in prison as an un-
dertrial for the past four
years. It added that the
trial court had so far not
even been able to proceed
to frame charges and the
State of Maharashtra and
the NIA have a total of 80
witnesses to examine in
the case.
“Over a period of time,
the trial courts and the
High Courts have forgotten
a very well settled princi-
ple of law that bail is not to
be withheld as a punish-
ment,” the apex court
underscored.
The prosecution case is
that Shaikh was appre-
hended on February 9,
2020 with a bag of counter-
feit notes of the denomina-
tion of ₹2,000. It was al-
leged that the consignment
was smuggled from Pakis-
tan to Mumbai.

Monday, July 8, 2024
Delhi
Ambitious AFI looking to shake up the
status quo of Indian athletics
Post the Paris Olympics, the association has planned to completely restructure its training and competition modules, possibly allowing more freedom and opportunities to athletes in both;
this includes doing away with centralised national camps, grading the training centres and academies and increasing regional events for easy access to competitions
Elevated: Gurindervir, centre, will be among the many athletes bolstered by the changes AFI is set to make. RITU RAJ KONWAR
Uthra Ganesan
eeraj Chopra’s success in Tokyo
N 2020 led to an explosion of
interest across the country in
javelin throw, a sport that for
many Indians for many years was one of
those fringe events that happened on the
sidelines of the more glamorous races on
the track.
Proving that an increase in number
corresponds to quality, Indian athletics
now has several javelin throwers either
among the world’s best or knocking the
doors at the top level – across age groups.
The success has also spurred the Athletics
Federation of India’s (AFI) ambitions,
which now plans to broad-base the entire
sport across the country.
Expanding its horizons
Post the Paris Olympics, the AFI has
planned to completely restructure its
training and competition modules,
possibly allowing more freedom and
opportunities to athletes in both. This
includes doing away with centralised
national camps, grading the training
centres and academies and increasing
regional events for easy access to
competitions.
“See, when you have one national
camp, you can only have a maximum of
120-130 athletes, across events. But a lot
of athletes say they do not wish to leave
their personal coaches or training bases
and come to the national camps even
though they might get better facilities. We
have even invited athletes to bring their
own coaches to the national camp but
they still don’t want to. We also know why
they don’t want to come to camps. So we
have decided to tell the athletes, ‘do
whatever you want to, train wherever you
want to, with whichever coach you want.
The relay teams will be an exception since
they need to train together.
“Of course, it makes keeping track of
their progress and an eye on whether
they stay clean more difficult. But even
now, many of them are reluctant to travel
and many don’t. This way we will have
more training centres and be able to cater
to many more athletes who wish to avail
top-level facilities, we are looking at at
least 650-700 athletes in the national
set-up,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla
said in an exclusive interaction with The
Hindu.
One way the AFI is looking to do so is
by streamlining and grading all the
training centres in the country on the
basis of the facilities available. These will
include the existing government set-ups at
the various Centres of Excellence – both
central and state – the privately managed
ones including the likes of Army Sports
Institute, the Reliance Foundation and
JSW’s Inspire Institute of Sports and the
likes of standalone academies like the PT
Usha School or the Anju Bobby
Foundation.
“We have prepared a detailed criteria
of more than 30 parameters to rank the
facilities from grade A to E. These include
the equipment available,
accommodation, coaching facilities,
personnel, track, sports science facilities,
recovery and rehabilitation and much
more. Registering them all will help us
keep track of the activities and grading
them will also provide an incentive to
those ranked below to improve because
their funding will be directly according to
their rank,” Sumariwalla explained.
At the same time, he insisted, there will
continue to be single training bases for
specific events with dedicated coaches –
both Indian and foreign – with athletes
having access to them regardless of being
a ‘national camper’ or not.
“Thiruvananthapuram will remain our
main centre for sprints. Bengaluru will
remain the centre for middle-distance
running and jumps. Patiala will continue
to be the centre for throwers. Those who
want to can always come and train there.
I can confidently say that there is no
better facility than our camps – in terms
of physios, food, equipments, masseurs,
everything. There will continue to be a
national chief coach and a High
Performance Director – for seniors and
juniors – and their job will be to monitor
THE HINDU
Sport
We have prepared a detailed criteria of
more than 30 parameters to rank the
facilities from grade A to E. These
include the equipment available,
accommodation, coaching facilities,
personnel, track, sports science
facilities, recovery and rehabilitation
and much more.
SUMARIWALLA
everything, control, get feedback and
help create a training microcycle. We are
simply trying to spread better facilities
with access to more people,” he added.
Access to better coaches
The decentralisation of training, he said,
will also help more athletes access and
train with the foreign coaches, both
contracted with the federation and
private centres. A case in point is the
newly crowned 100m champion
Gurindervir Singh, who is not a national
camper. Gurindervir revealed after the
race that he had spoken to James Hillier,
athletics director of Reliance Foundation,
who had invited him to train at their high
performance centre in Odisha post
Olympics.
Hillier, in fact, has been quite popular
here – he was even seen assessing and
giving tips to a local kid who approached
him on the eve of the Inter-State
Championships. “Just a kid, he came up
and asked if I could look at him so why
not?” Hillier had shrugged.
“This is the kind of thing we are
looking at. Otherwise only the national
campers have access to foreign coaches.
Now we will have event-specific coaches
based in certain centres and any athlete
can approach them. The coaches will also
travel to other centres regularly,”
Sumariwalla said.
The only pre-condition is that every
coach has to be registered with the
I
federation – including the foreign coaches THE GIST
and those employed with the private
academies. “Athletes always get penalised
but coaches rarely do. Why should they
get away? Mentioning the coach will be
mandatory for every athlete at every
competition, “We are giving them the
freedom to train as they like. But we are
쑽
One way the AFI is looking to
revamp its operations is by
streamlining and grading all
the training centres in the
also telling them, ‘we will get after you, country on the basis of the
we will be tracking you. There will be a facilities available
monitoring system and as soon as we see
some performance, we will do whatever 쑽
we have to to ensure you are clean. At the same time, AFI president
“Athletes do all sorts of things outside, Adille Sumariwalla insisted,
which is why we put up the rule of taking there will continue to be single
only campers in national sides. They went training bases for specific
to the Supreme Court also but it luckily events with dedicated coaches
ruled in our favour. Those things will – both Indian and foreign –
continue, there will be cases in future with athletes having access to
also, we are ready for that. But the kind of them regardless of being a
drastic improvements in performances ‘national camper’ or not
that happen are often inexplicable. I am 쑽
not casting any aspersions on anyone but
It is also looking at spreading
there is always a doubt because of
the competition calendar and
previous incidents,” he admitted.
adding more regional events to
ensure more competition
Revamping the calendar
The AFI is also looking at spreading the
competition calendar and adding more
regional events to ensure more
competition. “We are looking at a senior
and junior open championship in every
state. When there is a Grand Prix in
Bengaluru or Patiala, everyone has to
travel there and there are only so many
national events you can have. We want
more local and regional level meets so
players can go there and participate, get
warm-up competitions before big events.
“We are also in talks with World
Athletics for at least one continental tour
event in India. We are also talking to
various stakeholders and sponsors but we
need time to work out the details – the
time slot for the event, the facilities and
long-term commitment from those
interested to host before deciding the
venue. We also have to keep in mind the
best interests of our athletes – it cannot be
in pre-season or in October-November,
when the best talent in Asia may not be
available. Let’s see.”
 THE HINDU
II Monday, July 8, 2024

SCIENCE
Delhi

Jumping genes and RNA bridges

promise to shake up biomedicine
The discovery of transposons revolutionised our understanding of genetics, in particular their role in enabling nature’s wondrous diversity. Over the years, researchers have
attempted to resurrect inactive transposons in animal genomes, hoping the results will be useful for genetic corrections to cure diseases

Sridhar Sivasubbu
Vinod Scaria
THE GIST
쑽
Transposons influence the
he year was 1948. It had only effects of genes by turning

T been about half a century since

scientists had rediscovered
Gregor Mendel’s work on
inheritance in pea plants. This year, a
scientist working on the genetics of the
‘on’ or ‘off’ their expression.
They have the ability to
rearrange the genome and
thus enable nature’s diversity
쑽
maize plant would challenge the then Researchers have
prevailing concept that genes are stable reconstructed a transposon
and arranged in an orderly manner on the called ‘sleeping beauty’ using
chromosome. Barbara McClintock at the the genomes of a fish. It had
Carnegie Institution found that some been dormant for millions of
genes were able to move around within years. A similar synthetic
the genome. These genes were called transposon may, in the future,
mobile elements or transposons. allow us to turn off a
Prof. McClintock also made another problem gene or over-express
significant observation: depending on another
where the mobile elements were inserted, 쑽
they had the ability to reversibly alter
A new RNA-guided gene
gene expression. She used corn kernels’ editing system that uses
colours as a surrogate to understand bacterial transposons can
hereditary characteristics, and in this way treat a wide variety of genetic
figured out transposons moved about in diseases: a functional copy of
the genome of the maize plant. She was a gene can be replaced in a
awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or given genomic location. It
Medicine in 1983 for this work. Transposons influence the effects of genes and are thus called the tools of evolution. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO may also be able to treat
Between 1948 and 1983, researchers chromosomal inversions or
found transposons in an array of researchers elegantly reprogrammed the DNA recombination mediated by bridge deletions
life-forms, including bacteriophages, synthetic avatar to work in human cells. RNA on the other hand makes a clean cut,
bacteria, plants, worms, fruit flies, In future, a similar synthetic transposon making the edit specific and tidy. Equally
mosquitos, mice, and humans. They were inspired by nature may be able to turn off importantly, the latter can facilitate the
nicknamed ‘jumping genes’. a problem gene or over-express another addition, deletion or inversion of DNA
Barbara McClintock at the Carnegie
to accentuate some desirable sequences of virtually any length.
‘Sleeping beauty’ transposon characteristic. Institution found that some genes Researchers can exploit this feature by
The discovery of transposons Researchers have already discovered were able to move around within the inserting any desirable genetic cargo —
revolutionised our understanding of several naturally occurring vertebrate genome. These genes were called such as a functional copy of a faulty,
genetics, in particular their role in transposons and continue to look for mobile elements or transposons disease-causing gene — into any location
enabling nature’s wondrous diversity. more. on a genome.
Transposons influence the effects of genes Such an ability spells a big boon for
by turning “on” or “off” their expression RNA-guided transposons In their paper, they reported that in synthetic biology, where entire sets of
using a variety of epigenetic mechanisms. On June 26, Nature published a paper by Escherichia coli bacteria, the bridge RNA genes need to be inserted or removed
They are thus rightly called the tools of researchers at the University of California, had more than 60% insertion efficiency from organisms. Similarly, the technique
evolution, for their ability to rearrange Berkeley, and the Arc Institute in the U.S. (i.e. ability to introduce a desired gene) can be used to manage, or even treat, a
the genome and introduce changes. describing a new RNA-guided gene editing and a 94% specificity (ability to target the wide variety of genetic diseases: a
More than 45% of the human genome system. This tool builds on an older intended location on the genome). functional copy of a gene can be replaced
consists of transposable elements. Just as discovery: that one of the genes in the in a given genomic location. Researchers
they create diversity, they also create IS110 family of bacterial transposons Boon for synthetic biology may also be able to treat chromosomal
mutations in genes and lead to diseases. contains the instructions for cells to make In a separate paper published on the inversions or deletions, which are
However, most of the transposons have an RNA molecule with two loops. same day, researchers from the University currently beyond the reach of any of the
themselves inherited mutations and have Scientists found this RNA could bind to of Tokyo described the structural and editing tools we have.
become inactive, and thus can’t move two pieces of DNA, rather than the usual molecular mechanisms of genome As Prof. McClintock said in her Nobel
around within the gnome. one piece, and form a bridge between modification guided by bridge RNA. The Prize lecture in 1983: “Unquestionably we
Over the years, researchers have them. This is a very useful ability. researchers used cryo-electron will emerge from this revolutionary
attempted to resurrect inactive In the new study, the researchers used microscopy to study the IS110 period with modified views of
transposons from the genomes of the the bridge RNA to edit the DNA. The two transposons. They found that it works as a components of cells and how they
animal kingdom, hoping that the results loops of the RNA can independently bind dimer — a complex compound formed by operate, but only, however, to await the
will be useful in biomedical applications to two separate pieces of DNA. One of the bonding two copies of a simpler emergence of the next revolutionary
like genetic correction to cure a disease or loops identifies the target site in the compound. One copy binds to the target phase that again will bring startling
for gene therapy. genome that needs to be altered. The DNA and the other binds to the donor changes in concepts.”
For example, in 1997, researchers other loop specifies the DNA to be DNA, bridged by the bridge RNA. (Sridhar Sivasubbu and Vinod Scaria
studied the genomes of fish and inserted in its place. Each loop is This alternative form of are senior consultants at the Vishwanath
reconstructed a transposon called independently programmable, which genome-editing has many advantages. Cancer Care Foundation and adjunct
“sleeping beauty” at the molecular level. means researchers can mix and match CRISPR-mediated editing sometimes professors at IIT, Kanpur and the Dr. D.Y.
This transposon became dormant in any target and donor DNA sequences of leaves small bits of nucleotides Patil Medical College, Hospital and
vertebrates millions of years ago. The interest. added/deleted during the repair process. Research Center, Pune.)

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BIG SHOT WHAT IS IT?

Graphene: a simple wonder

Karthik Vinod

When the same element is able to

exist in different forms, the forms
are called allotropes. Graphene,
thus, is an allotrope of carbon, along
with diamond and graphite. It
consists of a single layer of carbon
atoms that are linked to each other
in a honeycomb pattern.
Graphene is among the most
versatile materials known to
humankind. As a nanomaterial, it is
stronger than diamond, more
conductive than silver, more elastic
than rubber, and lighter than
aluminium. Many people called it a
“wonder material”. Graphene is among the most versatile materials
It is simple to make graphene: use known to humankind. As a nanomaterial, it is
scotch tape to peel away the lead of stronger than diamond, more conductive than
a pencil for a while. Under a silver, more elastic than rubber, and lighter than
microscope, you should be able to aluminium. GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
see graphene residue left on the
tape.
However, scientists use more sheet of graphene is placed above
sophisticated techniques in another and rotated by 1.1 degrees
laboratories, like chemical vapour relative to the bottom layer, the stack
deposition, to deposit graphene in becomes a superconductor at low
order to make stronger car tires or temperature.
when making chips to replace those (Karthik Vinod is interning with The
made of silicon in smartphones. Hindu.)
When graphene is mixed with
concrete, the latter becomes 25%
stronger and less carbon-intensive.
Graphene also develops some
X
unusual properties in a twisted
An airport in Sicily was closed briefly on Friday after Mt. Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, erupted and spewed ash into the sky, disrupting air travel. Mt. Etna, a soaring bilayer form. In 2019, for example,
3.3-km-high volcano, has erupted multiple times in recent decades. Italian authorities also issued a warning for Stromboli, another volcano north of Sicily, whose eruption physicists found that when one
created ash clouds. Mt. Stromboli is known for being one of the only nearly constantly active volcanoes in the world. AFP & REUTERS